Systems and methods for incorporating a patch antenna in an implantable medical device

Abstract

Systems and methods for an implantable medical device which utilizes a patch antenna for communicating with an external device. The implantable medical device includes a housing, a header, and a patch antenna formed using an RF plate and a ground plate, which may be or include a metal surface of the housing. Also, a material of the header forms a dielectric of the patch antenna.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An implantable medical device comprising:
 a header connector assembly comprising a connector assembly and a header enclosing the connector assembly, the header including a dielectric material; 
 a housing coupled to the header connector assembly and comprising a metal surface, the housing enclosing electronics for the implantable medical device; and 
 a modular feedthru assembly comprising:
 a feedthru flange coupled to the housing and electrically connected to the metal surface; 
 a radio frequency (RF) plate; 
 an RF conductor coupled to the RF plate and electrically connecting the RF plate to the electronics through a feedthru extending through the feedthru flange, the RF conductor being electrically isolated from the feedthru flange and the metal surface; and 
 a ground conductor extending between the RF plate and the feedthru flange, the ground conductor directly coupling the RF plate to the feedthru flange and shorting the RF plate to the feedthru flange, 
 
 wherein the RF plate, the feedthru flange, and a portion of the dielectric material extending between the RF plate and the feedthru flange form a patch antenna, the feedthru flange forming a ground plate of the patch antenna extending parallel to at least a portion of the RF plate. 
 
     
     
       2. The implantable medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the RF conductor attaches to a first rectangular edge of the RF plate, and wherein the ground conductor attaches to a second rectangular edge of the RF plate, the second rectangular edge being opposite to the first rectangular edge. 
     
     
       3. The implantable medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the patch antenna communicates in a Bluetooth frequency band contained within 2.40 to 2.48 GHz. 
     
     
       4. The implantable medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the patch antenna has a planar orientation which is parallel to the metal surface and the ground plate further includes the metal surface. 
     
     
       5. The implantable medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the feedthru flange forms a first ground plate and the implantable medical device further comprises an extension member extending from the metal surface, the extension member further forming a second ground plate. 
     
     
       6. The implantable medical device of  claim 5 , wherein the extension member and the planar orientation of the patch antenna are perpendicular to a planar orientation of the metal surface immediately adjacent the RF plate. 
     
     
       7. The implantable medical device of  claim 6 , wherein the extension member is folded around the plate, and the plate is sandwiched between the extension member and metal surface. 
     
     
       8. The implantable medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material includes at least one of a thermosetting polymer, an epoxy, thermoplastic, polyurethane, tecothane, pellethane, silicone, acrylic or bionate.